Stressed about your AP Macroeconomics exam?
Then stick with me because in this video, we're going to go over nine
tips that will help you score a four or five on your AP Macroeconomics exam.
Before we get started, this video is brought to you by Albert.
If you haven't already created a free account to start practicing for your AP
Macro exam, be sure to do so by using the link in the video description below.
With it, you're going to get access to a few are practice questions, as well
as detailed explanations to help you prepare for your AP Macroeconmics exam.
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AP review content like this, as we go over more tips on AP Macroeconomics,
multiple choice and free responses.
Without further ado, though, let's get into it.
The first tip we can give for you, when it comes to tackling AP Macroeconomics
is to keep the exam format in mind.
You have to remember that the multiple choice section makes
up 67% of your exam score.
Whereas the free response section only makes up 33% of your exam score.
This means that you have to weigh things accordingly as to how you're
going to prepare for your exam.
When it comes to the multiple choice section you're going to have.
60 questions that you need to answer in 70 minutes, which means
that you're going to have a little more than one minute per question.
When it comes to the free response section, you're going to have an hour
to answer three free response questions, but it's a little bit trickier than
the multiple choice section, because one of your free response questions
is going to be a longer form to response whereas the other ones are
going to be shorter, free responses.
The longer free response typically makes up 50% of your FRQ score.
Whereas the other two shorter ones make up 25% respectively.
On average, you're going to want to spend about 20 minutes per prompt, but
in the case, in which you're able to work through the shorter FRQs faster than
it will be helpful for you to spend a little bit more time on the longer FRQs.
Remember the free response section is all about demonstrating that
you're able to analyze and apply concepts that you've learned in class.
You'll likely have to perform some level of numerical analysis
or create some sort of graph or visual analysis in the FRQ section.
Our second big tip when it comes to getting that four or five on your AP
Macroeconomics exam is to make sure that you're incorporating review videos into
your regular AP macro study routine.
There are a ton of free resources these days on YouTube to help you out here.
For example, Jacob Clifford has a YouTube channel that goes over a ton
of AP Macroeconomics concepts that you can use to help you prepare.
If you don't necessarily jive with his personality, then you
might also find it valuable to check out Khan Academy's videos.
Khan Academy has a few macroeconomics videos that reflect what's taught
at an introductory college level, which is the equivalent of what
is covered in AP Macroeconomics.
With the constant influx of different charts, graphs, and so on to read by
hearing another educator's breakdown of that particular concept, it can help you
cement your understanding on that concept so that when you're assessed on it in test
day, you're going to actually understand and be able to apply that concept.
Tip number three, when it comes to how to study for AP Macroeconomics is to
understand the most common mistakes of students when it comes to the exam.
There are a couple to go over, so I'm just going to laundry list them right now.
They also sometimes mix up the change in supply with the
change in quantity demanded.
There's sometimes a tendency when it comes to the FRQ section in terms of
not fully labeling charts in terms of the title, the axes and the data points.
Students also tend to not fully understand the impact of monetary
and fiscal policy on interest rates.
So be sure to refresh on back topic.
Students also often don't have a full understanding of international
economics, money and banking as well as long run aggregate supply.
Students also don't often understand the difference between real and nominal
or nominal and real, and they also tend to make confusing calculations when it
comes to comparative advantage questions.
Lastly, students struggle in distinguishing between demand, pull
inflation and cost push inflation.
So now that you know, a few of the mistakes that students often make, when
it comes to AP Macroeconomics, you can take note as you're preparing so that
you don't make those same mistakes.
It can be super helpful for you to keep track of your mistakes with an error log.
That way you don't make the same mistake a few different times.
Before we head into our next tip, if you're finding this video helpful, do us
a favor and hit that like button below.
By doing so, you're going to help more students find this video as
they prepare for their AP Macro exam.
Tip number four is to invest in an AP Macro review resource early, and then to
use it often throughout the school year.
Whether that's an old score review book, like a Princeton review or a
Barron's review book or a more online resource like Albert, these sorts of
resources can be helpful for you as you prepare for your AP Macroeconomics exam.
What we recommend you do, for example, is to block out 30 minutes every
other day, to review the different topics or concepts that your AP
Macro teacher has just taught you.
Then from there, a few days later, test yourself with an
online resource like Albert.
That way you can get instant feedback as to whether or not you
actually understood the concept.
In the case where you didn't fully understand that topic on the first go,
you can use that feedback from your review resource to help you better prepare for
that topic the next time you see it.
What's also great about these review resources is that there tend
to be cliff notes versions of the things that are covered in your
class or in your AP Macro textbook.
So simply by reading that concept in a different format or a shorter format
can be a helpful way for you to actually master the different principles.
Tip number five, when it comes to AP Macro and studying for it is to make sure
that you review all the important graphs.
When it comes to both the multiple choice section, as well as the free
response section, you're going to have to get comfortable with seeing
all different sorts of graphs.
These could include things like the production possibilities frontier,
supply and demand, the loanable funds market, money market and foreign exchange
market, aggregate supply and demand, the Phillips curve, investment demand
and domestic and world tariff graphs.
If you need a helpful video of 10 of the most important graphs to AP
Macroeconomics, there's a great video by a fellow YouTuber that you can
check out in the accompanying blog article in the video description below.
Tip number six when it comes to AP Macroeconomics is to make sure that
you know, all the key formulas that you are expected to know for the multiple
choice and the free response section.
You need to know how to calculate things like real GDP and the unemployment rate.
You'll also need to know how to calculate things like the tax
multiplier or the GDP deflator.
If you need a complete breakdown of all the formulas that you need to know, there
is a helpful link in the accompanying blog article in the video description below
which links to the economics classrooms breakdown of all the important formulas.
Tip number seven is to make sure that you are studying with flashcards.
The thing about AP Macroeconomics and pretty much every other AP
exam is that there are way too many concepts to know for the exam.
So a helpful way to keep things top of mind for you is to make use of flashcards.
We recommend that you create a set for yourself using a site like
Quizzlet in which you can add to them over the course of the school year.
You can also check out what other students have created over the years on
sites like Quizlet, so that you don't necessarily have to duplicate work.
As you work your way through different units over the course of the school year,
just create a new set of flashcards.
That way, when it comes time for AP exam prep season, you have your
flashcards ready to go, and you can simply use those since you already
created them earlier in the school year.
We recommend setting aside 15 to 30 minutes to review these
flashcards on a regular basis.
That way you don't have to cram on the nights before your exam.
If you're looking for other online resources, the economics
classroom has a great set of e-flashcards that you can use.
There are 150 flashcards that you can sort by specific units and shuffle
as you review for your AP Macro exam.
Our eighth tip is to follow macroeconomic sources in your social media.
This can be a more passive way for you to prepare for your AP Macroeconomics
exam, by trying to better understand how these concepts that you're learning
in class apply to the real-world.
For example, on Facebook, you might find it helpful to check out a page like
Economy Watch, or if you're on Pinterest, you might want to follow some helpful AP
Macroeconomic boards or on Twitter, you might want to follow #macroeconomics.
By engaging on a more personal level with the subject that you're
taking, you'll better understand how the different concepts and abstract
theories that you are learning in class apply to the real-world.
It might also be helpful to check out Mr.
Carman or Steve Latter's AP economics blogs.
These are two teachers that have essentially created free resources
to share with different students.
Our final overall study tip when it comes to studying for AP Macroeconomics
is to go ahead and form a study group that you regularly meet with.
All this takes is simply getting a group of classmates or friends together and
asking whether or not you'd want to meet on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
From there, if you want to meet virtually, you can use Google Hangouts or Zoom to
set up that time in which all of you guys can review your notes together,
go over different things that might've been challenging in class, or actually
just test each other on different concepts that might show up on the exam.
In the case where you form that study group, we highly recommended
that you always have an agenda for every single study session.
This will make it so that everything is clear as to what you guys are trying
to accomplish in the particular study session that you're engaging with.
The reality is that whether or not you love or hate the class, macroeconomics
can be a bit of a dry subject.
So it can always be a little bit more fun to study and practice with other peers.
There you have it nine tips for how to tackle your AP Macroeconomics
exam to score that four or five.
If you found this video helpful, do us a favor and hit that like button below.
And also consider subscribing if you haven't already and hitting that
notification bell to get notified as to when we follow up this video with our
multiple choice tips, as well as our more specific AP Macro free response tips.
If you know the friend or classmate that might find this video helpful,
feel free to share it with them.
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Be sure to do so using the link in the video description below.
We have full length practice exams with timers, which allow
you to simulate the test taking environment before your exam day.
That way you'll feel more confident for your AP Macro exam.
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Now it's your turn.
Tell me in the comments below what your favorite AP Macroeconomic study tip is.
That's it for this time.
In our next video, we're going to go over some multiple choice
strategies that you can take when it comes to tackling AP Macro.
In the meantime, check out these videos that YouTube thinks you might like.